Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device includes a trench MOS barrier Schottky diode having an integrated PN diode and a method is for manufacturing same.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method for manufacturing same.

In modern motor vehicles, more and more functions are being implemented using electrical components. This results in an ever-increasing demand for electric power. To meet this demand, the efficiency of the generator system in the motor vehicle must be increased. So far, PN diodes have been usually used as Zener diodes in the generator system of the motor vehicle. Advantages of PN diodes include low reverse current and great sturdiness. However, the main disadvantage is a comparatively high forward voltage UF. At room temperature, current begins to flow only at a forward voltage UF of approximately 0.7 V. Under normal operating conditions at which the current density is approximately 500 A/cm², forward voltage UF increases to more than 1 V. This results in a decline in efficiency.

On the basis of theoretical considerations, the Schottky diode might be considered as an alternative. A Schottky diode has a much lower forward voltage than a PN diode. For example, the forward voltage of a Schottky diode is approximately 0.5 V to 0.6 V at a current density of approximately 500 A/cm². Furthermore, a Schottky diode as a majority carrier component offers advantages in rapid switching operation. Inasmuch as is known, however, Schottky diodes have not yet been used in the generator system of a motor vehicle. This may be attributed to some significant disadvantages of a Schottky diode which make such an application appear to be less relevant. First, a Schottky diode has a higher reverse current than a PN diode. This reverse current also has a strong dependence on the reverse voltage. Finally, a Schottky diode has inferior sturdiness, in particular at high temperatures. These disadvantages have so far prevented the use of Schottky diodes in automotive applications.

Measures for improving the properties of Schottky diodes are already known from T. Sakai et al., “Experimental investigation of dependence of electrical characteristics on device parameters in Trench MOS Barrier Schottky Diodes,” Proceedings of 1998 International Symposium on Power Semiconductors & ICs, Kyoto, pp. 293-296, and from DE 694 28 996 T2, resulting in the so-called TMBS (TMBS=trench-MOS-barrier Schottky diode). One advantage of such a TMBS is the possible reduction in reverse current. Reverse current flows mainly along the surface of a trench formed in the diode structure through a quasi-inversion-layer of the MOS structure of the diode. Consequently, the MOS structure may be degraded from an n-epi layer to an oxide layer by injection of “hot” charge carriers and may even be destroyed under particularly adverse conditions. Since a certain amount of time is needed for formation of the inversion channel, the space charge zone may briefly propagate further at the beginning of rapid switching operations and consequently the electrical field strength may increase. This may result in brief unwanted breakdown operation of the diode. It is therefore not very advisable to use a TMBS that has been improved with regard to the reverse current as a Zener diode and operate it in the breakdown range.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

The present invention having the features of claim 1 offers the advantage in particular that injection of so-called “hot” charge carriers is prevented. This is achieved by the fact that the high field strength occurring in a breakdown is not near the sensitive oxide layer because the breakdown voltage of the integrated PN diode is lower than the breakdown voltages of the Schottky diode and the MOS structure. The semiconductor device designed according to the present invention is therefore characterized by a particularly great sturdiness, which permits reliable use of the semiconductor device in the electrical system of a motor vehicle, in particular in the generator system of the electrical system. It is particularly advantageous that the semiconductor device is reliable when operated at breakdown voltages on the order of a few 10 V and at current densities of few hundred A/cm². A first embodiment of the semiconductor device advantageously includes an n+ substrate on which there is an n-layer in which trenches have been created. The trenches are filled with a p region over at most a portion of their depth. The n+ substrate and the n-layer each carry a contact layer, the contact layer being separated from the n-layer by an oxide layer in the area of the walls of the trenches.

A second embodiment of the semiconductor device according to the present invention includes an n+ substrate on which there is an n-layer in which trenches have been created. The walls of the trenches are completely covered with an oxide layer, but the bottoms of the trenches are at most partially covered with an oxide layer. Beneath the trenches there are p regions in the n-layer created by diffusion. The n+ substrate and the n-layer carry contact layers.

Additional advantages and embodiments of the present invention as well as advantageous methods for manufacturing the semiconductor devices are derived from the additional subclaims in combination with the description and the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional TMBS diode;

FIG. 2 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor device designed according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of a semiconductor device;

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of a first manufacturing method;

FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of a second manufacturing method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a known semiconductor device 10, namely a so-called TMBS diode, referred to below simply as a TMBS. First, the design of such a TMBS will be described to also show more clearly the advantages achieved with the present invention in comparison with this. TMBS 10 has an n+ substrate 1 and an n-layer 2 on this n+ substrate. Trenches 6 are created in this n-layer 2. The bottom areas and walls of trenches 6 are covered with an oxide layer 7. A metal layer 4 on the front side of TMBS 10 functions as the anode. A metal layer 5 on the back of TMBS 10 functions as the cathode. Electrically, TMBS 10 is a combination of an MOS structure (metal layer 4, oxide layer 7 and n-layer 2) and a Schottky diode. The Schottky barrier here is between metal layer 4 as the anode and n-layer 2 as the cathode.

A current flows in the forward direction through mesa region 3 of TMBS 10 enclosed by trenches 6. Trenches 6 themselves are not available for current flow. The effective area for current flow in the forward direction is therefore smaller with a TMBS than with a conventional planar Schottky diode. The advantage of such a TMBS 10 is the reduction in the reverse current. In the reverse direction, space charge zones develop with both the MOS structure and the Schottky diode. The space charge zones expand with an increase in voltage, and come into contact with each other in the middle of mesa region 3 between neighboring trenches 6 at a voltage lower than the breakdown voltage of TMBS 10. Therefore, the Schottky effect responsible for the high reverse current is screened and the reverse current is reduced. This screening effect depends greatly on the structural parameters of the TMBS, such as in particular Dt (depth of trench 6), Wm (distance between trenches 6), Wt (width of trench 6) and To (thickness of oxide layer 7). The screening action for the Schottky effect is therefore much more effective in the TMBS in comparison with a JBS (junction-barrier Schottky diode) having diffused p troughs. However, a significant disadvantage of the known TMBS is the weakness of the MOS structure. In a breakdown, very large electrical fields occur within oxide layer 7 and in n-layer 2 in the immediate vicinity of oxide layer 7. Reverse current flows mainly through the quasi-inversion-layer of the MOS structure along the surface of trenches 6. As a result, the MOS structure may be degraded by injection of “hot” charge carriers from n-layer 2 into oxide layer 7 and may even be destroyed under certain adverse operating conditions. Since a certain amount of time is needed to form the inversion channel (deep depletion), the space charge zone may spread out further briefly at the beginning of fast switching operations and therefore the electrical field strength may increase further. This may result in a brief unwanted breakdown operation. It is therefore not advisable to use a TMBS as a Zener diode or to operate it in the breakdown range.

The present invention avoids this problem by integrating a PN diode that functions as a clamp element into the TMBS. Semiconductor device 20 designed according to the present invention is described below and may also be referred to as TMBS-PN. The design of the p regions in this semiconductor device 20 ensures that breakdown voltage BV_pn of the PN diode is lower than breakdown voltage BV_schottky of the Schottky diode and breakdown voltage BV_mos of the MOS structure. In addition, this ensures that the great field strength occurring in a breakdown is not near an oxide layer and therefore no injection of hot charge carriers need be feared. Furthermore, the barrier current flows mainly through the PN diode instead of the inversion-layer of the MOS structure. These properties impart a great sturdiness to semiconductor device 20. It is therefore especially suitable as a Zener diode for use in a motor vehicle electric system, in particular in conjunction with the generator system of a motor vehicle.

A first exemplary embodiment of a semiconductor device designed according to the present invention is described below with reference to FIG. 2.

Semiconductor device 20 includes p-doped regions 8 made of Si or poly-Si in the lower range of trenches 6. These regions 8 are preferably designed to be trough-shaped. Specifically, semiconductor device 20 has an n+ substrate 1, an n-layer 2 on this substrate 1 and trenches 6 introduced into n-layer 2.

Preferably at least two trenches 6 are provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, trenches 6 may be designed as strips preferably running parallel to one another in n-layer 2. In other embodiments of the present invention, trenches 6 may also be arranged like islands in n-layer 2. The cross sections of these trenches 6 arranged in islands may then be of any shape. In the sense of good reproducibility and easy manufacturing, however, the islands preferably have a regular cross section, i.e., circular, hexagonal or the like, for example. Trenches 6 are preferably created by an etching operation that removes the material of n-layer 2 in the etching area. The base areas and walls of trenches 6 are covered with an oxide layer 7. Contact layers 4, 5 are provided on the front side of semiconductor device 20 as anode 4 and on the back side as cathode 5. An oxide layer 7 is situated between the side walls of trenches 6 and metal layer 4. Lower region 8 of trenches 6 is filled with p-doped Si or poly-Si. Here p regions 8 are designed so that no charge compensation occurs between n-layer 2 and p regions 8. In one embodiment of the present invention, contact layer 4 in particular may also have two metal layers situated one above the other. For the sake of simplicity, this is not shown in FIG. 2. The part of the depth of trenches 6 covered by an oxide layer 7 is labeled as Dox. The portion of the depth of trenches 6 filled with a p region is labeled as Dp. The distance between trenches 6 is Wm. The width of trenches 6 and/or the p regions arranged in trenches 6 is labeled as Wt. The thickness of oxide layer 7 is designated as To.

Semiconductor device 20 designed according to the present invention may expediently be manufactured by the following method. In this context, reference is also made to the flow chart in FIG. 4. It starts with an n+ substrate 1 (step 40). An n-layer 2 is applied to this n+ substrate 1 (step 41). This is preferably done using an epitaxial method. In a next step 42, trenches 6 are etched into n-layer 2. Next trenches 6 are filled with p-doped Si or poly-Si (step 43). In a subsequent etching process, p-doped Si or poly-Si is etched away in trenches 6 so that only a portion Dp of the depth of trenches 6 is filled with p-doped Si or poly-Si (step 44). In a next step 45, the bottoms and walls of trenches 6 are covered with an oxide layer. In a next etching step (step 46) the oxide layer is removed from the bottoms of trenches 6 so that only the walls of trenches 6 are covered with an oxide layer 7. In another step 47, contact layers 4 and 5, preferably made of metal, are applied to the front and back sides of semiconductor device 20.

The functioning of semiconductor device 20 is explained below. Electrically, semiconductor device 20 designed according to the present invention is a combination of an MOS structure (contact layer 4, oxide layer 7 and n-layer 2), a Schottky diode (Schottky barrier between contact layer 4 as the anode and n-layer 2 as the cathode) and a PN diode (PN junction between p regions 8 as the anode and n-layer 2 as the cathode). As in a conventional TMBS 10, the current in semiconductor device 20 flows in the forward direction but only through the Schottky diode. In the reverse direction, space charge zones develop in both the MOS structure and in the Schottky diode and the PN diode. The space charge zones expand with an increase in voltage and collide in the middle of mesa region 3 between neighboring trenches 6 at a voltage lower than the breakdown voltage of semiconductor device 20. The Schottky effect responsible for a high reverse current is therefore shielded and the reverse current is thus reduced. This shielding effect depends greatly on structure parameters such as Dox (portion of the depth of trench 6 having an oxide layer), Wm (distance between trenches), Wt (width of trench 6 and/or p regions 8), Dp (portion of depth of trench 6 having p-doped Si or poly-Si) and To (thickness of oxide layer) and therefore may be advantageously influenced by suitable dimensioning of the aforementioned structural parameters. Semiconductor device 20 has a shielding action for the Schottky effect similar to that of conventional TMBS 10 but it offers in addition a great sturdiness due to the clamp function. Breakdown voltage BV_pn of the PN diode is advantageously designed so that it is lower than breakdown voltage BV_Schottky of the Schottky diode and breakdown voltage BV_mos of the MOS structure. In addition, this ensures that the breakdown will occur at the bottom of trenches 6. In breakdown operation, the reverse current then flows only through PN junctions and not through the inversion-layer of the MOS structure, as in the case of a conventional TMBS 10. Semiconductor device 20 designed according to the present invention thus has a sturdiness similar to that of a PN diode. In addition, there need be no fear of injection of “hot” charge carriers in the case of semiconductor device 20 because in the case of breakdown the high field strength does not occur near the MOS structure. Consequently semiconductor device 20 is especially suitable as a Zener diode for use in a motor vehicle electric system, in particular in the generator system of a motor vehicle.

Another embodiment of the present invention will now be explained with reference to FIG. 3. In the case of this semiconductor device 30, p regions 8 are manufactured by diffusion beneath trenches 6. Semiconductor device 30 also includes an n+ substrate 1. An n-layer 2 is provided on this substrate 1. At least two trenches 6 are introduced into n-layer 2. Semiconductor device 30 has contact layers 4 and/or 5 on the front and back sides. The walls of trenches 6 and a portion of their bottoms are covered with an oxide layer 7. Below trenches 6, p regions 8 are formed by diffusion of a p dopant, preferably boron. With n-layer 2, these form a PN diode. In addition to the structural parameters already identified in FIG. 2, the following new structural parameters are included in FIG. 3. The width of p regions 8 on the mask is labeled as Wp0. The depth of penetration of diffusion into n-layer 2 is labeled as Xjp. When dimensioning p regions 8, the breakdown must occur at PN junction 8/2 during breakdown operation, and the breakdown voltage of semiconductor device 30 is determined by the PN diode. This embodiment also has similarly advantageous properties, in particular a sturdiness comparable to that of the first embodiment of the present invention described with reference to FIG. 2. One advantage of this second embodiment in comparison with the first embodiment (FIG. 2) in particular is that it eliminates the filling of trenches 6 with p-doped Si and/or poly-Si and the subsequent etching of p-doped Si or poly-Si. The boron covering combined with p diffusion belongs to the simpler process steps.

An advantageous method for manufacturing semiconductor device 30 is described below (embodiment according to FIG. 3), reference also being made to the flow chart in FIG. 5. This also starts with an n+substrate 1 (step 50) to which an p-layer 2 is applied, preferably by epitaxy (step 51). Trenches 6 are created in n-layer 2 by an etching process (step 52). Next the bottoms and side walls of trenches 6 are covered with an oxide layer (step 53). In a subsequent etching step (step 54), the oxide layer covering the bottoms of trenches 6 is partially removed. This creates a mask of width Wp0 for the subsequent diffusion process. For this, the region of trenches 6 from which the oxide layer has been removed is first covered with a p dopant, preferably boron (step 55). This is preferably done by deposition from the gas phase or by ion implantation. Next the diffusion process is performed (step 56) in which boron diffuses into n-layer 2 and forms p regions 8. Finally, contact layers 4 and 5 are again applied to the front and back sides of semiconductor device 30 (step 57) after a photo and etching process have first been performed for opening contact region Wp0.

In additional advantageous embodiments of the present invention, embodiment 1 as well as embodiment 2 may also have additional structure in the edge area to reduce the edge field strength. These may be, for example, low-doped p regions, field plates or similar structures.

As already mentioned, semiconductor devices 20, 30 designed according to the present invention are particularly suitable as Zener diodes in combination with an electrical system of a motor vehicle due to their sturdiness, in particular for use in the generator system of a motor vehicle. Therefore, the semiconductor devices 20, 30 expediently have a breakdown voltage between 12 V and 30 V, in particular between 15 V and 25 V. These semiconductor devices 20, 30 are particularly advantageously operable in blocking operation with a high current density on the order of a few hundred A/cm², in particular 400 A/cm² up to approximately 600 A/cm².

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   1 n+ substrate -   2 n-doped layer -   3 mesa region -   4 contact layer -   5 contact layer -   6 trench -   7 oxide layer -   40 step -   41 step -   42 step -   43 step -   44 step -   45 step -   46 step -   47 step -   50 step -   51 step -   52 step -   53 step -   54 step -   55 step -   56 step -   57 step -   BV_mos breakdown voltage of the MOS structure -   BV_pn breakdown voltage of the PN diode -   BV_schottky breakdown voltage of the Schottky diode -   Dox portion of the depth of trenches having oxide layer -   Dp portion of the depth of trenches having Si or poly-Si -   Dt depth of trenches -   To thickness of oxide layer -   Wm distance between trenches -   Wt width of trenches -   Wp0 width of p regions on mask 

1-27. (canceled)
 28. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: applying an n-layer to an n+ substrate; creating trenches in the n-layer; covering the trenches with an oxide layer; removing the oxide layer from bottoms of the trenches and also from a portion of walls of the trenches; filling portions of the trenches freed of the oxide layer with p-doped Si or poly-Si to form p regions; and covering the n+ substrate and the n-layer with contact layers, the regions of the trenches not filled with p regions being filled completely with a material of the contact layer.
 29. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: applying an n-layer to an n+ substrate; creating in the n-layer; covering the trenches with an oxide layer; removing the oxide layer from bottoms of the trenches in some areas; covering a portion of the bottoms of the trenches freed of the oxide layer with a dopant substance; performing a diffusion process to form p regions disposed beneath the trenches; and covering the n+ substrate and the n-layer with contact layers, the trenches being completely filled with a material of the contact layer.
 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein a bottom of the trenches is covered with the dopant substance by deposition of a dopant substance from a gas phase.
 31. The method according to claim 29, wherein bottoms of the trenches are covered with a dopant substance by ion implantation.
 32. The method according to claim 29, wherein the dopant includes at least one of (a) boron and (b) boron ions.
 33. The method according to claim 29, wherein the n-layer disposed on the n+ substrate is produced by an epitaxial method.
 34. The method according to claim 29, wherein a bottom of the trenches is covered with the dopant substance by deposition of a dopant substance from a gas phase, wherein the dopant includes at least one of (a) boron and (b) boron ions, and wherein the n-layer disposed on the n+ substrate is produced by an epitaxial method.
 35. The method according to claim 29, wherein bottoms of the trenches are covered with a dopant substance by ion implantation, wherein the dopant includes at least one of (a) boron and (b) boron ions, and wherein the n-layer disposed on the n+ substrate is produced by an epitaxial method. 